The UK’s Covid inquiry has heard that former Prime Minister Boris Johnson reportedly agreed with some Conservative Party MPs that Covid-19 was “nature’s way of dealing with old people”. This allegation was revealed through diary entries made by Sir Patrick Vallance, the UK’s former chief scientific adviser. Meanwhile, Johnson’s ex-adviser, Dominic Cummings, told the inquiry that there was no plan and the government was in “complete chaos”. Irresponsible messages sent by Cummings about cabinet ministers and top officials were also shown during the inquiry.
Lee Cain, the former communications director at No. 10, revealed that the pandemic was “the wrong crisis” for Johnson as he lacked leadership abilities and continuously changed his mind. The UK’s handling of the Covid crisis was laid bare in a day of candid testimony by Johnson’s former advisers. During the inquiry, Sir Patrick noted that Johnson was more concerned with protecting the economy than the public.
In August 2020, Sir Patrick wrote that Johnson was “obsessed with older people accepting their fate and letting the young get on with life and the economy.” In later notes, Johnson reportedly agreed with Conservative Party Chief Whip Mark Spencer when he said “we should let the old people get it and protect others.” The Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice UK spokesperson, Brenda Dougherty, said that reading Johnson’s messages felt like “being punched in the stomach”. Johnson’s spokesman declined to comment on the evidence provided during the inquiry.
Johnson and his successor Rishi Sunak will provide evidence to the inquiry later this autumn. Cummings did not hold back during his testimony, demonstrating a withering account of his time in government during the pandemic. Despite apologizing for his use of language, Cummings argued that an “overall dysfunctional system” was in place during the pandemic, and no plans were in place when the crisis erupted.
Labour condemned the evidence presented at the inquiry, stating that it exposed “a government that is chaotic, callous and dangerously out of its depth”. The Covid inquiry continues on Wednesday, with Helen MacNamara, the ex-deputy cabinet secretary, scheduled to give evidence
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More